


Something of a Surprise

by thetravelinglemon100



Series: Lost for words [4]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms
Genre: Emotions, F/M, Kit being Christopher Marlowe, Sad and Happy, an event mentioned in Together in more detail, he's in a novel, if that makes sense, mentions of Steven/Kit, mentions of Steven/Sara
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-27 01:15:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13869975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thetravelinglemon100/pseuds/thetravelinglemon100
Summary: Steven and his wife Evadine receive some surprising news.





	Something of a Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> Transfered from Teaspoon. Strongly linked to 'Together'.

He would never deny it had been something of a surprise. Steven, for his part, was staring at the exact part of the receiving room wall where the paintings of their wedding ended and the beginnings of their joint rule began. He remembered how Evadine's friends had insisted they paint their rooms as a wedding present, and Steven never ceased to marvel at the beautiful images they'd created. Whenever he had the chance to stop and marvel, that was.

Now was an absolutely _perfect_ time to marvel; it was the best opportunity Steven had _ever_ been presented with, and he determinedly traced the blue of drawing-Evadine's dress as it merged into the flowers at her feet. She'd been beautiful that day-

"Steven. Steven, pay attention."

And there was the opportunity gone, snatched from him like... like he didn't know what. He blinked and glanced back to the other people in the room. "Yes, sorry, I er..." He what? What was he supposed to say?

"The King is surprised." God bless Evadine and her frankness.

"Ah, yes, well, I suppose that's understandable-"

"Just tell us what we should do."

"Yes, of course. Well, I'd say it's about three months, and I'm afraid there isn't much you can do: just rest, don't exert yourself. We won't be able to do much until closer to the time."

"Anything else?"

"No, I guess that's about it." Doctor Sora was obviously well used to the Queen's abruptness. "I'd say to call me if you have need, but I know you would, with or without me telling you to." So saying. he bowed and left the room, leaving the King and his Queen to their thoughts.

"A _baby_..." the words left Steven's mouth without him even realising it, and he blushed slightly as he realised how little he'd taken in of the conversation after hearing the word 'pregnant'. At least Evadine seemed to have kept her wits about her.

"Yes Steven, a baby; _our_ baby." Her voice was calm and reassuring, and Steven leant towards her without a second thought, wanting to bury his face in her hair until her could wrap his mind around this new adventure they'd been flung into. Well. 'Flung into' wasn't really a fair assessment when they'd created the adventure themselves, in the full knowledge of what it might become. In the hope of what it might become.

"Sorry, I just... it's difficult to wrap my head around." He frowned. "How are you so calm?"

Evadine smiled. "I've suspected for a while, but didn't want to say anything until I was sure. It would be unfair to raise everyone's hopes for nothing." Calm, logical, sensible - as she always was. As Steven normally would be too, only this news had thrown him completely. Did all expectant fathers feel like this?

"Of course, of course."

"Steven, why don't you lie down for a moment? Or at least sit back down?"

Frowning, Steven realised he'd stood from his seat and begun pacing the room. It didn't bear thinking about how much of a mess he'd be later, when just the confirmation of the pregnancy had knocked him for six. He nodded and opened the door to their private rooms, striding through to the bedroom and collapsing on the bed without waiting for Evadine to follow. What he really needed was a glass of wine. Or seven. Maybe more.

The door to the bedroom closed softly, and he felt a weight next to him on the bed as Evadine lay down and snuggled close, resting her head on his shoulder. Without thinking, Steven readjusted his position to wrap his arm round her warm body, pulling her closer against him.

"Our _baby_ , Steven, our little prince or princess." She didn't say it, but the King could hear everything in his wife's voice: her wonder at this new life, and fear something might go wrong, but more than that the pure joy of having a child to nurture and love. The joy of having come this far, the two of them, with their broken hearts.

He hummed in agreement and kissed the top of her head. Perhaps their hearts weren't quite so broken as they used to be; perhaps the baby would mend them even more.

They lay there in silence, for long enough that Steven lost track of time and his mind began drifting. He absently drew small circles on Evadine's upper arm as he thought back to his proposal and the reason for the proposal: heirs. When it boiled down to it, it had been the need for heirs. He would never have considered it had he not thought he and Evadine could build something together, but children had always been a necessity. And now they were a reality.

"Anir and I talked about children," came the quiet sound of Evadine's voice. They hadn't spoken about their deceased lovers, but it seemed that she intended to make an exception on such an important occasion. "It was only talk, of course, but we talked about the better world we'd help build; how, if we could find some form of strength against the Elders, we could get rid of their terrible machines and guns. We talked about restructuring society, integrating our people and teaching them how to prosper again so that we could join and bring our children up in a better world. It was silly, wishful thinking, but neither of us were willing to bring children into that life."

She let out a small shuddery sigh. Steven wanted to comfort her, but knew there wasn't really comfort for that sort of hurt, not really.

"He was an idealist, I suppose - not like you or me - he believed the Elders would be overthrown one day, somehow, and that we'd be around to reap the benefits. Always positive, even when it was foolish to be; always hopeful. It was silly really, but in a way he gave me hope - hope for something other than what we had: he made me believe in something. His last words to me-" another shuddery breath "-were _'chin up Dina, we'll get them yet'_. He'd been teasing me that I didn't believe we could defeat the Elders, and then he had to go out on patrol. But the Elders caught him, and bled him dry."

She paused, and moved her left hand to gently stroke across her stomach. "Anir was dark skinned, just like his father, and spent far too much time in the sun. His hair used to fall over his eyes in the most annoying way - I told him to cut it but he never did." The words were distinctly wobbly now, and sped up as Evadine struggled to fight the emotion behind them. "Started wearing this red scarf on his head - said it hid his huge forehead, but I think it was really just him admitting defeat about his hair. He was only a bit taller than me, and when he really put his mind to it he could do the most beautiful drawings on the walls: he'd draw all the places and things he'd seen while out on patrol. The drawings must still be there..." 

Evadine trailed off, shaking slightly, unwilling to go further but unable to stop; she'd talk herself into hysterics if Steven didn't do something. Gently he tucked a finger under her chin and guided her head upwards, bending down at the same time so their lips met. Brushing aside the pain, Evadine pushed her lips harder against his just as she pressed her body against his. He held her like that, one large hand cupping the side of her face, fingers tracing her jawline and earlobe and cheekbone, until the tension slowly drained from her body.

It didn't need saying what she'd really been thinking: she could be carrying Anir's baby by now, could even have an older child pattering about the house. It could be _him_ holding her, loving her, rather than Steven. The King didn't begrudge her her thoughts: all the possibilities running through her mind would have been possible futures - had Anir not died - and neither of them had entered into the marriage on the pretext of love.

That didn't mean it wasn't hard to hold his wife while she cried over another man.

Finally, she broke contact, gazing up at Steven expectantly. Apparently it was his turn to share information about Sara, or Kit. He'd never spoken to anyone about either of them - well, not how he _felt_ about them - but now Evadine was asking him to dredge up those feelings because she'd shared something first? And yet, he couldn't refuse.

"When I met Sara we were already on the run from the Daleks and their 'alliance'. She was on their side, though she didn't know it: she thought we were the traitors, the troublemakers, though I suppose troublemakers was right. She joined us, but not after shooting-" he broke off, unwilling to admit that Sara had killed her own brother "-another man who'd been helping us. We had a quick breather on Earth after being chased through time and space, but it was impossible to ignore what was going on, even while we were drinking wine and wishing each other Merry Christmas." He sighed. "She died because she went back to help the Doctor, and he set off the time destructor. She aged to nothing - nothing left but sand that blew away on the wind. We'd never had a chance to be anything other that allies of the moment; barely even friends, but there was always something..." He trailed off, and Evadine kissed the corner of his mouth in encouragement: she knew he wasn't finished.

"Maybe the less said about Kit the better," he continued, with a humourless smile. "The first time I met him he died in a duel, fighting on my behalf, and everything after that only reminded me he was going to die. All the adventures we had, with me stubbornly refusing to acknowledge what was to come, but even then the knowledge still dampened anything we might have had. It was nothing, in the end."

Evadine kissed him on the lips again - her attempt to offer him reassurance. In all honesty Steven wasn't sure he needed it, but as the kiss went on, he found himself relaxing and drawing strength from her. How foolish to think he hadn't needed her just as much as she needed him. The thought that this could be Sara with him, or even Kit, barely crossed his mind: he could never have had children with Kit, and Sara hadn't seemed the type. Perhaps his possible futures weren't quite the same.

Pulling away, Steven smiled and kissed his wife's forehead. "Let's not let the past taint the future."

Evadine nodded and resettled her head on Steven's shoulder. "I was thinking Tancred, after my father, if it's a boy..."

Steven paused. He hadn't even thought about a name for the child yet; this child would have a name, a personality, an appearance from their own features. The idea was difficult to grasp. "Jacqui, if it's a girl?" He managed, through his dry throat. "After my sister."

Evadine nodded again in agreement, probably pleased she hadn't needed to remind Steven of the Ecrose tradition of naming children after significant family members or friends. It meant that most names were carried down through the generations, and everyone could say that they had been named after someone important to their parents.

They didn't speak for a while after that, both of them wallowing in memories and hopes and could-have-beens.

All this fell to the wayside, of course, when the baby was born. The machines here were advanced, but not advanced enough to stop Steven pacing backwards and forwards with worry, or as much as he could pace with Evadine's hand holding his so tightly. The machines removed the need for hours of labour, but they couldn't take away the pain, and by the time the baby was born Evadine had fainted dead away.

This meant, of course, that Steven was the one to be handed the tiny infant: wrapped in a piece of pale green cloth, his hands held the most wonderful thing he'd ever seen. For all his wars, and travels and adventures, life had never seemed so _precious_. Cradling the baby against his chest, Steven suddenly didn't know what to do: should he talk to the baby? Introduce himself? It sounded silly, but parents often said silly things to their children, didn't they?

A girl, they said. A gorgeous little baby girl. His Jacqui, his little angel. His princess.

Without thinking, Steven ran his thumb - huge by comparison to her tiny hands - over Jacqui's forehead and down her cheek. A noise from across the room drew his attention, and he glanced up to see Evadine staring at him and the bundle in his arms. Every inch the proud father, he approached her and laid the baby against her chest. He probably should have said something - weren't father's supposed to say 'well done' or something? - but words couldn't measure up to what it was he wanted to say. Instead, he perched on the side of the bed and rested an arm round his wife' shoulders, following her adoring gaze down to the baby in her arms.

Steven couldn't help but wonder how they'd created something so beautiful; a tiny little person, perfect in every way, half of each of them. Perhaps they weren't so broken after all.


End file.
